Skoda Auto reports record sales in 2012

(AP) PRAGUE - Czech carmaker Skoda Auto AS says its unit sales rose by 6.8 percent in 2012 to reach a record high.

Skoda Auto, which is owned by Germany’s Volkswagen AG, says in a statement Friday it sold 939,200 cars last year, compared with 879,200 cars in 2011, the previous record high. The company expects further growth in the years to come.

It did not provide financial figures.

Skoda Auto said sales in China, its biggest market, rose 7.1 percent to 235,700 units. Sales in Germany, the second most important market, increased 3.6 percent while in Britain they grew 17.6 percent.

The company has previously said it hopes to increase its annual global sales to at least 1.5 million units by 2018.